What should I get at Ikea?

jill314July 12, 2014

Background info: we are about to begin a kitchen renovation. We have done a fair amount of the demolition, and we leave in 2 days for a vacation. The contractor will show up the day after we return to start with the "real thing." So at this point we've done all the "big" choosing - counters, floor, cabinets, appliances, etc.

On our vacation, we'll be very very very close to an Ikea (whereas the closest one to our home is over 4 hours away). I have a couple things in mind to get there, but I'm wondering if anyone here has recommendations for what all I should be looking for to help complete the kitchen. I'm thinking along the lines of organizational things, convenience, and such. This is my one and only chance to get to Ikea probably in the next year or so - I don't want to miss anything important!

Ikea has lots of good drawer organizers. I have a few things including variable sized plate/bowl "cubbies" that I use to stack plates and bowls in a deep drawer, drawer depth knife blocks, silverware organizers, etc. They have good under cabinet LED lights, strainers, colanders, oil splatter guards, etc. etc.

I got my kitchen cabinets from Ikea too, and really like their drawer hardware. Very sturdy and configurable.

I like the HJÃÂLTE line of kitchen utensils they are very sturdy and nice looking, and easy to hold.
STRÃÂLANDE
Grater with handle, stainless steel, dark gray, really nice and easy to hold grater.
They have some very nice candle holders and candles if you are into that, great for quick gifts.
I really like the hanging systems for the kitchen, the rails that you hang various things on. I like several of them but my favorite is FINTORP, and GRUNDTAL. I use the GRUNDTAL little round containers with the clear lid and the magnetic back for lots of things including spices and pins in my sewing room. Tons of uses.
If you need lights or lamps they have some interesting choices. And light bulbs! They have good prices on led bulbs and also batteries.

I really miss having an Ikea near me, I used to go frequently. Now it's a drive to get to the closest one.

They make battery operated LEDs that go inside your drawers and light up when you open the drawer. I want to get some but they're cheap and cost more to ship than to buy. I'm going to get some next time I'm near an ikea.

Utrusta electrically powered drawer opener, love it for hands free trash! It was somehow tricky for my installers to handle and get adjusted but has worked beautifully since then. I have them on both trash drawers. It is made by Blum (they call theirs servo-drive). It is electric, so you need an outlet for it but you probably have a garbage disposal in the area which will also need electric.

LOVE that little wheeled cart. I don't really have a need for it but I'm impressed with the look and also it's sturdier than a lot of their little metal furniture pieces.

But for the kitchen, these plastic drawer/cabinet organizer tubs are my favorite and I keep buying more every time I'm there:

There's also a bigger size that is about double that smaller one. I have them in my pantry and put potentially sticky stuff in them (honey, molasses, etc) (also will get one for oils) because it's so much easier to clean that little tub than wipe down a pantry shelf.

They're also great for little things like baking powder, baking soda, vanilla extract---stuff you pull out for baking. I am going to get a couple of the big ones for under the sink to keep damp sponges off the cabinet base and just all those cleaning agents that might drip and that you want to pull out easily to use. They fit in the deep drawers, too. I have one for all the annoying plastic lids that get scattered around just from opening and closing a drawer, i think.

Other stuff:

their wood cutlery trays are really, really nice quality

I need to get a magnetic knife strip thing

Drawer and door dampers-- A MUST! So quiet!

If you are storing dishes in drawers, those lift-out plate holders are great for keeping things neat:

There are also adjustable drawer dividers (metal with gray plastic ends) but I would only use them for utensils and big stuff in deep drawers. I used to have them for flatware and the knife blades would slip under the dividers--annoying.

Also, you can get the sale price on any and all stuff from the kitchen department during the sale as long as your total purchases meet the minimum $3500 and you buy before the sale is over. So if you go back and spend another $20 or $200 or whatever after you buy the cabs, you can still get the sale prices. Just ask in the kitchen department about how to do this. Bring all your receipts with you!

Another fave is this organizer that they have down on the lower level where all the plastic tubs are:

I don't think it's on the website. It's only $2.99. It measures 14 5/8" x 9 3/8" and about 3" deep. I am going to put two of them in a 24" wide junk drawer for pencils, rubber bands, clips, post-its, etc. since I don't have a desk for that stuff. I think two will also fit into an 18" but check interior drawer specs to make sure. They fit front to back with an inch or so left over.

Would also be good for little baking utentils--measuring cups, cookie cutters, measuring spoons, etc.

Ikea LEDs are wonderful starter kits ... that is where I got a lot of my ideas. But there are SOOOO many other options out there now - you can buy a 16' reel of lights for $10 - warm white, RBG, or for a little more, combo warm white + RGB. There are regular strips, waterproof outdoor strips - and lots of different channels with much better diffuser (no dots!). There are IR controllers ... RF controllers ... even WiFi adapters so you can run multiple lights from your phone.

The IKEA power supplies are very weak and don't really support more than the lights that are included with each kit. They also don't lend themselves to being used in another channel if you want to put a diffuser on them.

Ikea LEDs are wonderful starter kits ... that is where I got a lot of my ideas. But there are SOOOO many other options out there now - you can buy a 16' reel of lights for $10 - warm white, RBG, or for a little more, combo warm white + RGB. There are regular strips, waterproof outdoor strips - and lots of different channels with much better diffuser (no dots!). There are IR controllers ... RF controllers ... even WiFi adapters so you can run multiple lights from your phone.

The IKEA power supplies are very weak and don't really support more than the lights that are included with each kit. They also don't lend themselves to being used in another channel if you want to put a diffuser on them.

VARIERA Drawer mat (trim to fit drawer liner that is not-slip). Utilitarian but works great. I'm going to re-use the ones from my old cabinets that are 12 years old - they're in perfectly good condition and I can freshen them in the dishwasher.

I think that IKEA cheese grater is a knockoff of the Bodum, which is more elegant and fits the hand better. Of course it costs more, too, but I see them at Goodwill every now and then and Tuesday Morning (housewares outlet) used to get them in sometimes.

I didn't use Ikea cabinets but I went there as soon as my new kitchen was done to see what I could buy! I came back with a cutting board that fit my Kraus sink perfectly, a bunch of those bins that @spanky_md posted, a pot lid organizer ($5, and works great!) And more paper napkins and dish towels and plants, stuff I pick up every time I go there. I need to go back again, this time without a 5yo to distract me.

I would also go with measurements of the spaces you want interior organizers for - drawers, cabinet, shelves, etc. Most likely you'll find things that work well for your spaces. Don't forget to peek at the wardrobe and bathroom organizers, not just the kitchen ones.

I think I want one of those raskog carts for my patio. Epoxy powder coated steel, should be fine on the patio, I'd think.

And the utrusta...interesting. I got the 18" cabinet with double trash pull out with my cabinets (since it was a free promotion when I ordered) and DH's biggest fear is having to use his hands to open the trash after having had Simple Human step on cans forever. That could work. However...I have VERY smart dogs. I'm wondering if anyone has this and has a dog smart enough to get into the trash. That's all I need. We had to go from one step on can with a lid that closed over the can to one where the lid nestled into the can. The dog was smart enough to lift the other one. ::roll eyes:: So I've got that question on it and if other places make something similar besides IKEA.

I'm sorry to say that yes, I think your dog could easily figure out the utrusta. I guess my second best idea for what to buy at Ikea is chocolate, specifically the hazlenut, but the dark is pretty great, too.

I am loving: the wall-mounted pull out bin under my sink (Variera pull-out container); the Variera plastic bag holder; the over the sink colander (although I find that I use it most often as a dish drainer) and in-sink washing bin; the pot lid organizer; the utensil tray; and I wish that I had saved a bunch of money and gotten their undersink pullout waste sorting bins instead of the Rev-a-shelf unit.

I am going back soon and want to get drawer units to replace the static shelves in the top of my pantry and over frig cabinet, plus look at their new toe-kick drawers, get another roll-up blind, and of course buy several things that I had no plan to look for or buy.